The week after Christmas, heading into a new year, always brings a time of reflection for me. I finally slow down long enough to consider the past year’s experiences while wondering what the upcoming future year might bring. During this process, I ponder God’s goodness and faithfulness as He reminds me that whether past, present, or future, He stays true to His Word that His presence is with us always. This time, however, I contemplated a difficult question: “Which do I love more…a gift from God or God Himself as the Giver of the gift?” It’s a fitting question coming off the heels of a time of giving and receiving gifts from family. At first glance, it seemed like an easy question to answer, but as I intentionally evaluated my personal response to what has been given to me, I had to painfully admit how often I treat the gift as more valuable than the Giver of the gift. God’s Word reminded me that my two boys are gifts from Him as well, temporarily entrusted to my husband and I to care for, but to hold loosely. We don’t own them, yet we are called to shepherd them as good stewards. They ultimately belong to our Father for His purpose and delight, but I just want to cling to them so tightly. Of all the special gifts I have been given by God, it is my children that I try to withhold from Him, become stingy with, and struggle with God for His plan and purpose for their lives. I treat God as if I can more adequately provide for them and their needs making wiser decisions for them than He can. I even blame God when their lives don’t go as my plan warrants. Wow! But what’s wrong with loving your children and caring deeply for them? Nothing; however, the problem comes when we adore our children more than we adore the Creator and Giver of these gifts and rewards from the Lord (Ps. 127:3). It doesn’t just have to be your children; it could be any relationship, career, material possession, ministry, or fill in the blank that is a distinct gift from the Giver. Do you assign more worth and value to that someone or something than you do to God? Have you begun to worship that which God has granted to you rather than the One who gave you that delight? To answer these questions, trace your path of personal sacrifices. Calculate the results. For whom or what do you sacrifice more or more often for…God or someone/something other than Him? (Yikes!…When you put it that way.) I’ll be the first to admit that I had to confess to my Father how often I tend to sacrifice more for my two fearfully and wonderfully-made children, gifts from God, than I sacrifice for Him, the Creator and Giver of life. Ironically, presenting and releasing these gifts back to God each day is an act of faith, exercising my trust in God to do what is right and best on behalf of these gifts, even if I don’t agree with it or like it. In Matthew 2:11, the Bible records a beautiful example of the Magi worshiping God and giving back to Him that which He had already given them. The result was seeing face-to-face God’s only Son, Jesus, the Savior of the world. “Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts…” If we began each day with worship of our Lord and time in His Word, I wonder whether our perspective would change about the Giver and the gifts He gives to us. We could freely focus on the Giver while presenting those gifts to Him with dependent trust and faith in Christ on behalf of the gifts. God has given us so much by His grace, but we must be mindful of putting those gifts above Him. He alone is worthy of our worship. Enjoy your gifts from God, be a good steward of those gifts, and thank God for those gifts, but never let them replace the Giver of those gifts.“Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created…Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Rev. 4:11; 5:13) Tamar Miller

One major concern I have as a mom is trying to help my children find Christ for themselves. As you know, we’re in the Christmas season. And every night for the last week, my 5-year-old daughter has been telling my husband and me about Hanukkah/Chanukah. She’s so intrigue by it. Meanwhile, I hear the perturbed voice in my head asking “Why isn’t she that interested in the Christmas story?” Here’s my disclaimer, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Hanukkah. In fact, this is not about Hanukkah. My concern is, it’s Hanukkah this week. But what if next time she’s interested in some world view that is against my Biblical principles and what I’m trying to instill in my children. That’s my concern. So how do I address this? So far I’ve been continuously telling myself to “keep cool,” calm down (don’t fear), PRAY for my children and keep sharing God’s Word with them. My prayer is that God’s Word will be louder than what the world is saying. In the hustle and bustle of work, pregnancy, Christmas shows, parties and more, I’m thankful for McGregor! My family and I attended the Christmas Countdown with the Pastor and some great bookmarks were given out. It takes you day by day through the Bible (Dec. 5-Dec. 25), tying together both old and New Testament passages for this Christmas season. So every night before bed, my goal is to have a nightly devotional with my girls. OK, so what if I’m several days behind and it takes two minutes for them to sit still and then another two for them to get quite and listen, it’s still a great opportunity to spiritually pour into my children. At the end of our devotional, we’ll sing a Christmas song (preferably a calm one, like Silent Night). You see, my hope is not to do everything right, instead, my prayer is to remain persistent in trying to introduce my girls to God’s Word. Regardless of what my children are learning in school, who they meet in their lives, etc., I don’t want to get discouraged by the giants that the world can bring. I know and rest in the truth that the Word of God is the stone needed to knock down any giant! So the next time my 5 year old talks about how much she loves Hanukkah or her school sends letters home about the Holiday show, I will NOT roll my eyes. I know I have God’s Word. Temika Middlebrooks

We talk a lot about radically following Jesus. It all starts with trust. Enjoy the following devotion taken from Wisdom Hunters Devotional.

Merry Christmas

Beverly Chesnut

Radical Trust “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17–18).Radical trust means you trust God even when He does not come through. You are not pregnant, but you still trust God. You do not have a job, but you still trust God. You have been betrayed, but you still trust God. You are sick, but you still trust God. You are lonely, but you still trust God. You are afraid, but you still trust God.

Your wise decision making is based on God’s trustworthiness. You know He is able, but it is still about His timing. And you will not compromise your convictions because you trust Him. It does not seem fair or right. But God has a bigger picture in mind. Do not be held captive by your finite knowledge and understanding. You can still trust the One with infinite wisdom and understanding. You are not alone in your current fire of adversity.

The Lord is with you. Your faith has been bolstered and is not extinguished because you know God is walking with you. Your faith is fireproofed by the Holy Spirit. The flames of hell are no match for fire from heaven. Your Savior defeats Satan in every encounter. But even when you are denied acceptance and physical comfort, you can still trust God.

Trust in God is not just for the good times, though there is a radical trust required as prosperity pelts your faith. But radical trust is much needed when things heat up. When you lose something precious or you are refused something you deserve, this is the time to ratchet up your radical trust. It is for times like this that God has molded your faith.

What if God has not come through? Radical trust means you stay focused on His past faithfulness. The mundane every day life is a link in the chain between life’s transitions. Today’s link is as important as tomorrow’s transition. Hope for the transition to come, but trust God with today. You cannot handle more than today’s troubles and triumphs. Do not worry about matters in the future over which you have no control.

Trust God with today, and do not worry about the uncertainty of tomorrow. This is radical trust in Christ. If you obsess over fear of the future, you most certainly will define the ambiguity with negative consequences. Then unwittingly you create a self-fulfilling prophecy. You worry yourself sick. You worry others sick. Or you are of no use for today because you are worried about tomorrow. You are stuck in the inertia of distrust.

But the Lord can be trusted. Meditate on His faithfulness instead of what might happen. Unleash the radical trust that resides within you. When you were younger, radical faith marked you as a follower of Christ. Reignite that passion for Jesus. Lay aside the sins of disbelief and worry. The cross of Christ and His resurrection are radical. Trust God even if He has not or does not come through. He is still trustworthy; so be radical in your trust!

Prayer: Do I radically trust the Lord with past events and decisions? How is He trustworthy?

Plan ahead. In the weeks leading up to your holiday dinner, decrease your caloric intake by a few hundred calories a day and hit the gym an extra time or two per week to prepare for those extra indulgences.

Eat breakfast. On major eating holidays like Thanksgiving, many people fast all day to prepare for the big meal. Not only does this promote binging once you finally sit down to eat after starving yourself all day, but it’s also been proven that eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism. Eating something light in the morning will help you burn more calories throughout the day, and eat less at the dinner table.

Exercise early. The holiday season tends to get busier and busier as the day goes on, which means it becomes easier to find excuses to skip exercising. Start your day off with a workout, and you’ll be burning calories all day. Plus you won’t have to fight through a tryptophan haze.

Get the family involved. It’s hard to pull yourself away from family gatherings to get in some exercise time. The best way to avoid missing out on family fun is to make your workout a group activity. Play a game of flag football together, or sign up for a turkey trot. Exercising together will make memories, and keep your workout fun.

Skip the finger foods. It’s easy to overeat when it comes to those harmless-looking appetizers, so save your appetite for the main event.

Load up on veggies. Once the main course begins, don’t fill your plate with stuffing and mac ‘n cheese. Begin with vegetables and lean proteins like turkey, green beans, and salad, which will leave less room on your plate for fatty indulgences.

Eat slowly. Taking small bites and chewing slowly will make you feel fuller faster, while shoveling it in doesn't give your body time to recognize that you're satiated.

Skip the seconds. Take a break before going back for another plateful of your holiday favorites. If you've taken your time eating, you should be feeling full by the end of your first helping. Let your body recognize that it’s full, and skip the extra fat and calories that come with seconds and thirds.

Stay on your feet. After a big holiday meal, all you want to do is to flop on the couch to watch football. But staying active after eating helps burn off a few of the calories you just packed in. Help clear the dishes. Go for a family stroll around the block. Play with the kids. Just keep moving for 30 minutes after you eat, and your metabolism will keep burning.

Remember, the holidays are a time for celebrating your family and enjoying the season, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t help going back for a second slice of pumpkin pie. As long as you keep your goals in mind, and don’t use the holidays as an excuse to let your nutrition plan go completely off the rails, you shouldn't feel bad about indulging in moderation. The holidays only come once a year, so enjoy the friends, family, and food that come with the season.-Merry Christmas from the Women's Ministry Leadership Team

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! When I read this it hit me again how big our God is. He is worthy of our praise and worship. The riches of God: mercy, love, grace, faithfulness, power and goodness. The wisdom of God: infinite, incomparable, beyond what we could ever know. The knowledge of God: He is omniscient, He knows everything; what is possible, all events, all creatures, the past, the present and the future. God’s judgments, His ways: they are deeper than man has the ability to understand or comprehend. He is the one who is in control of all. Ruby Cripe